Shackled
by inca-dove
Summary: A choked sob broke free, an anguished cry for the help that wouldn’t come. Legs that were once strong collapsed beneath her, bringing her to sit upon the ground. A twisted sequel to my one shot His Doorstep. Sakura, and the choices she's made.
1. Stranded

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners, and if any part of this fiction resembles that of another, it is purely coincidental.

**Shackled**

Chapter one

Stranded

It was on days like this that he couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. Even as the wind blew and the birds chirped merrily, it was all as if life itself was mocking him. Shaking his head and pulling his cloak tighter around his tired form, he moved on. And after a short glance toward the sky to determine the time, he headed forth on the dusty road to his inevitable future.

From a time long forgotten, from a life once lived, he emerged from space and time. The man most would only dare to whisper about in the darkest of ally-ways, away from the prying ears of potential men who would overhear.

The man gave a short snort at that thought, he was nothing the rumors said him to be. Not anymore, and never again. He was now just a mere shadow of the once deadly assassin that he had once been. Traded in his talents for what he had thought to be an even more powerful weapon. But the once thought of power turned on him, leaving him as a shell that hides from society. In a sad way he found it to be a little ironic, how the chaser has become the chased.

His eyes narrowed, even as his demise was inescapable, so too were all the lies that covered him like a fine veil of mist.

* * *

She was waiting for him again, waiting vigilantly in the shadows of her room for him to come to her. Like she did every night, like she had for the last year. But this time would be different, this time she would tell him the truth, she would make him understand that she didn't want to be a part of it any more. 

Of course she knew it to be a futile act, that he wouldn't understand her plea. But she felt so lost when she wasn't near him, as if her life revolved around his entire being.

How had she turned into this hideous creature? Why had she turned herself into his nightly whore? It was for money, and yet it wasn't. Coupling with him entitled her to roof above her head. It was for love, and yet it wasn't. Over the year she had learned to love him, and yet it was his very nature that brought her to love him in a mistrusting way.

Darkness consumed the world around her, pinpricks of light in the shadows illuminated her way to freedom.

Home, she thought, a mere distant memory of a time she longed for most. To be surrounded by the safe atmosphere that her parents had created just for her, with soft eyes and crooked smiles, she would have been shielded there. A plague, the corruption had surrounded her life in such a way that she hadn't even noticed its passing before it had become too late.

With a wistful sigh, she took one last glance into the mirror before her. Her features were those of a child, she decided. Only this child was not a child, but a grown woman with far too many skeletons in her closet. Even the room she currently resided in seemed to mock her. The light pink walls and white bedding, a constant reminder that she deserved none of it.

A soft rapping sounded from her door, and she knew instinctively who it was. And if not instinctively, then she knew beyond any doubt whom it was.

He was the only one who ever knocked on her door like that.

"Come in." She spoke, her voice steady belying none of her inner turmoil. Her heart gave the customary leap as she heard the old wooden door squeal at its hinges. She was ready this time, she would tell him to leave. And he would leave, leave her to her own created hell. That man, he wasn't the sort that would save her, only condemn her further. So it was necessary for her own self to be rid of him.

The husky voice greeted her ears, and it was in these times when she would first hear his words that she would wish that he could be her savior. Foolishness, she knew, but she still dared to dream.

"Sakura." Her body turned to face his, and with a sad smile on her lips she prepared herself to end her life again.

"Itachi."

* * *

And it was raining again, as it always seemed to do when he least wanted it. Not for the first time he wished the clouds would finally dry out. The sun, he concluded, was a nice commodity to have. 

Where was he again? With a lingering gaze at the surrounding desolate buildings he concluded that he must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Now, he knew he wasn't lost. He was, after all, within the boundaries of the rain country. The answer to where _exactly_ he was within the rain country eluded him however.

With a slight shake of the head, and a shrug from the shoulders he continued forward. There really was no point to dwell on the possibility that he was lost. It wasn't as if he had a planed destination set, quite the contrary, he just simply walked. Naturally though, normally he would eventually end up in a town that had some semblance of life still in it. Here though, he figured he would be lucky if he even found a cockroach.

Ah yes, but he was the lucky one after all.

A very unfriendly snort issued forth after that thought, he was anything but lucky. But this was a topic he didn't particularly like to remember. Memories were just memories, and the past was just the past.

One road down, then another, a turn to the right, and suddenly it appeared as though this town would never end. The night was coming upon him quickly, and the rain still had not abated. It all put him in a fairly sour mood, and had it not been for the other numerous nights in this country, he might have already given up.

But before he gave up, he was in some desperate need for some food. He found some shelter within one of the buildings that, he hoped, wouldn't fall down onto of him, and quickly set about pulling some soggy cheese and bread from his traveling pack. It wasn't much, and it certainly might do more bad than good for him to eat it, but it was all he had. With a small wince, he quickly popped the food into his mouth and swallowed it down. It tasted bitter, and he had to choke it back down when it tried to escape from the confines of his stomach.

The sky had turned dark on him, leaving him with no other option but to stay holed up in that building. Obligingly, he knew it would prove to be in his favor if he rested for the night; recover his lost energy. He knew, even before his eyelids closed for the evening, that sleep would not welcome him on that night.

* * *

Bright green eyes blinked away the tears that threatened to spill over. Though she knew that now was not the time to shed a tear, she couldn't help but be compelled to do so. Crying, however, was something that he wouldn't stand for, had forbidden her from it. And now he had forbidden her, her freedom. She belonged to him, and while it both excited and frightened her, she was tired of it all. Almost desperately, she wanted to resign to the life that fate seemed to hold for her. 

"I still want to dream."

It was dark and cold by the hour, but after the rude awakening he had given her, she had needed some form of an escape. A long walk though the dead town had seemed appealing to her. This was her favorite town that they would stop by, as it reminded her of home. But not in the way one would have liked to remember one's home. It reminded her of how her town, her home was nothing but a passing dream.

Absently, she noted how it had rained earlier that night. She liked the rain, adored the metaphor the rain stood for. But the night was still now; the clouds had stopped weeping and moved on. The rain may have stopped, but that didn't mean it would be any warmer. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself to try and bring some warmth back to her limbs.

It really was quite cold.

Why hadn't she thought to bring a sweater again?

Perhaps it was because she had been in such a hurry to get away from him that the idea that she might get cold eluded her. With a slight shake of her head she cursed to herself softly at how capably dense she could be sometimes. Cold as she was, she wasn't ready to head back to the building they were using as shelter yet.

Forward she moved, no destination presented to her, simply enjoying the silence of the night.

With the ease the night brought, she found her mind once again fighting to bring back memories of yesteryears. Faces, images and words all found a place behind her eyes, replaying over and over again as if on repeat. There were times she held dear, and the ones that still frightened her. The ones she saved for her nightmares, where she would wake in screams. An almost sadistic chuckle passed her lips as once again all her memories led up to one face. A face she both cherished and hated. She loved his eyes, though cold and calculating, she found them to be his best feature.

Lips frowned to the world around, she had to stop _thinking_ about him. Her head tilted down as her eyes lazily watched the ground move by. Tonight had been a turning point for her. She learned the truth when he casually slapped it in her face. She belonged to him, he had paid for her. He would never let her go, he would never care for her.

A choked sob broke free, an anguished cry for the help that wouldn't come. Legs that were once strong collapsed beneath her, bringing her to sit upon the ground. Her head rolled backwards as her arms fell numbly to her sides. Within her mind she knew she must look pathetic, a tarnished woman silently weeping for the dark path she now strolled.

* * *

It wasn't long after he had settled down for the night that the nightmares started screaming in his mind. His eyes flew open as his chest heaved for air. Normally calm nerves shook with the aftermath of the nightmare he had just relived in his sleep. 

The fire had consumed it all, had silenced the agony of those who still lingered. With its destruction, he had hoped to finally bring some peace to his troubled mind, but that had only been the beginning of his nightmare. It was then he learned it would never end, it was then he learned contentment would never be his.

Gathering his few items back into his traveling pack, he stood and made his way back to the world outside the small building. The air, though decidedly cold, greeted him as though he was a lost guest. The rain had dispersed some time ago, leaving in its wake a sweat aroma to the air.

Once again he was not surprised by the fact he was denied sleep again. Not for the first time he found himself aimlessly wondering the streets, though it was a different town, it was the same demons that drove him to move. Never, he knew would he be saved from this fate he had created. But that was okay, he reassured himself, as he had known that this life was a possible outcome.

His steps slowed to a casual pace as the form of a human began to visualize before him. The small frame that slowly became visible hinted to him to be that of a child or young woman perhaps. Either way, he wanted to go straight, and it was in the way. His voice was cold, collected as he spoke to the one sitting so casually before him. Back to him, face away, head hung low, legs crossed, really, it was hard for him to tell if it was a child or not.

"Move."

The body before him sprang to life even before the words had slipped from his lips. And suddenly, with a kuni's tip pressed firmly to his neck, he was presented with the face of a girl he had long since tried to forget.

She had heard the footsteps behind her, had been ready to fight if it came down to it. When the sound of footsteps stopped, she had sprung from the ground, pulling her small kuni as she did. What she hadn't been prepared for though, was to be greeted by the man who had unknowingly made her into what she was. Her eyes widened in shock, then quickly squinted into a glare. With a clinched jaw, it took every ounce of will power she still had to not jam the still sharp tip of her kuni into the man's throat.

"You . . . bastard."

He watched as her dim green eyes sparked into a raging fire. Absently he noted, her beautiful green eyes were probably the brightest now than they had been for a long time.

TBC . . .

Fanfic by Inca


	2. Symbol

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners, and if any part of this fiction resembles that of another, it is purely coincidental.

* * *

**Shackled**

Chapter Two

Symbol

* * *

It happened so fast. The memories, the pain, the loss, it all came back to her. The layers of dust that had settled atop the book to Sakura's past was swiped clean by the same hands that had set it aside to collect such dust.

Her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

Her knees buckled beneath her a second time.

She wanted to scream, too forcefully make him understand that it was he, who had been the one to decide her fate. That he had single handedly ripped from her heart all the hope, all the belief that she held onto. But she couldn't. Because, when all was said and done, she was in this predicament only because he had tried to shield her. He had forced her to leave her home.

"Kakashi. Please. Vanish. From my life again."

Kakashi winced at the not so subtle way she spoke to him. But he did not expect soft words of kindness to fall from her lips. He did not deserve them, was not worthy to be in the presence of her light. And so, with one last glance at the woman who had once been his life, his fire, he turned and started to walk away. No soft apology for his misdeed's passed his lips, no final farewell to the woman he had wanted to keep safe disturbed the silence. He didn't turn around, he didn't look back to her. He continued forward, toward his fate.

She watched as he walked away from her, for a second time in her life. Only this time she _could_ follow, she _did_ have that choice. She didn't follow though, because she already knew she wasn't strong enough too. She belonged to _him_.

Sakura stood and tried to brush the mud off from her clothing. It wasn't so much that she didn't like being dirty, she had practically become accustomed to being covered in filth. Why she tried to tidy herself was because she would have to go back and see the man who both soothed and damaged her dying heart.

Itachi.

Green eyes traveled to gaze at the stars above, and an almost forgotten smile crossed Sakura's lips. Maybe it really was time to move on? Without expecting an answer to come, Sakura spoke her question to the world around.

"Should I stay? Or should I find him?"

One foot moved forward. Would anything good come out of it?

She took another step toward the fading shadow of Kakashi. Could she trade the present for the past?

Her heart skipped a beat as her pace quickened. Was she condemning herself further?

Newfound determination colored her eyes as she started to run after Kakashi. She may have loved Itachi in a twisted sort of way, but she knew that he was incapable of ever returning such feelings back to her. She may have loved Kakashi when she was younger, but he had betrayed her then. Even before those two, she had loved Naruto, more than she had ever imagined possible. But he, much like her love for Kakashi, was gone now.

* * *

Dark eyes watched as the woman he loved to hate ran out of his life. But he did not feel compelled to stop her, did not feel compelled to follow her. She had been slowly healing him, had been slowly humanizing him. He resented that about her, resented how she had made him start to feel. Now she had left him, had gone away. She was a but a small chapter in his life, one he would gladly erase. And so, he continued to watch long after her form faded away into the distant surroundings.

Sometime later in his life, he would close his eyes for good and imagine her face as she smiled softly to him. Would imagine her bright laughter as it filled his soul. His lips would tug into a final smirk, because he knew she would never think of him again.

* * *

Her lungs screamed at her for air, but she kept going, kept pushing herself to take another lunge forward. He really couldn't have gotten too much of a head start on her could he have? She knew how to track people down, could see through various set-ups to make a person believe you went one way instead of another. So why hadn't she caught up to him yet?

A twig snapped up and grabbed her foot, causing her to take her first break from running. Her sudden break caused first confusion to scramble through her brain as she had suddenly stopped moving forward. Then came the sensation of pain to run up her spin for greeting the ground face first.

Sakura winced and rolled over onto her back to rub at her pounding forehead. That one hurt, and would probably leave a mark in the morning.

Her lungs gulped in air hungrily, as her sides screamed with exhaustion. She did _not_ want to move. Perhaps a short break would be much welcomed? Heavy eyelids won the battle and slowly closed, drowning out the world around her with darkness.

"Come now Sakura, I know I taught you better than to let an innocent twig get the better of you."

He was teasing her, and because of that, a small chuckled greeted him. So that was it, she had caught up to him, probably a while ago too. But she couldn't find him because she had passed him, and he had in turn started to chase her.

The sound of fabric flapping in the air caught her ears, then the sound of the ground crunching beneath the weight of Kakashi's body.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked in his direction, faintly relieved to see that he was sitting down and getting comfortable instead of continuing away from her. She observed him then, and allowed her eyes to relish in the sight of him. He may have been wearing a cloak, successfully shielding his body from her prying eyes. But that didn't matter, she still remembered what he looked like.

And then the memories flooded her system. Every soothing touch, every whispered word, every painful promise of what was to come, it all came back to her in a flourish. Everything she wanted to remember, and everything she wanted to forget. The chain of events that had led them together, and the moment of his greatest betrayal to her. She found herself looking away from him, unable to stand the intense hatred his betrayal had caused her to feel.

The silence between the two sickened her though; it was uncomfortable. Removing her hand from her forehead, Sakura propped herself into a sitting position. She was in the process of figuring out what to say to him when he beat her to the punch.

"Stop following me Sakura." His voice was like silk, yet commanding, when he spoke. Though underneath it all she could still detect a faint note of disappointment. But she was not sorry in the least bit that he had noticed her following him. That was, after all, the whole purpose of her going after him, even if he had made it harder than it had to be.

Her newfound determination still hadn't left her as she faced him, unready to give up. Her voice was unyielding, leaving no trace of the hesitance that had plagued her earlier, "No." She was not going to be cast aside again, this time she would pave her own future.

Kakashi sighed irritably, Sakura was nothing but stubborn. He didn't want her following him, his demons filled that role. Though, it would be nice to have some company again. His lone dark eye took in her appearance then. She looked haggard, barely there. The lady sitting in front of him barely resembled the Sakura he had known some years ago. The only things that connected this new Sakura to the old, by appearance along, was her hair and eyes. But even that had changed, he noticed. A good portion of her hair was not the vibrant pink that it should have been, but instead more of a dark brown, as if it had been dyed and grown out.

It didn't matter though, the few remaining were all different. No soul was left untouched in the aftermath. He could only guess that Sakura had not escaped untouched by the cruel hands of fate.

Green eyes watched intently for rejection of her. It happened once, it could happen again, the only question was the when and the where.

"Hm." Kakashi mumbled as he settled back into a more comfortable position. It was getting late, he would think it over in the morning. For a second time that evening Kakashi closed his eyes and welcomed his demons.

Sakura quirked her head to the side, not quite understand his mumbling. Was that a yes? Or a no? He was still sitting with her, so she felt inclined to gage it more of a yes, however past experience brought her to believe that he was just trying to dodge the subject.

Damn that man, Sakura ranted to herself, unable to see an argument the whole way though!

Her sides and legs still stung from the over exertion, she had fallen out of that kind of life quite a while ago. Itachi had always provided for her, in his own little way.

Itachi.

She would doubtlessly ever see him again. Her heart felt the loss, but her mind knew she was doing what needed to be done. Still, it hurt.

Following Kakashi's example, Sakura situated herself more comfortably upon the ground. Willing her eyes to close, forcing sleep to come, pushing the pain away.

The promise of eventually colored her mind, and gave false ease to her soul.

* * *

TBC . . .

A/N: Yeah I know, you all are probably going, "HUH?" But that's okay, because everything will be explained in the next chapter . . . And don't worry! I've already started on that one! So hopefully it'll only take me 3 months to get it out instead of 6! And yeah, this was a REALLY short chappie. I'll make the next one longer to make up for it! Promise!

To those who reviewed and/or just read it:

I love you all!

Fanfic by Inca


	3. Semblance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners, and if any part of this fiction resembles that of another, it is purely coincidental.

A/N: Again, this _is_ a very twisted sequel to my story "His Doorstep." So really, it would be a good idea to read that story first, as parts of this story will make references to it. And incase if you get a little confused, this chapter is focused mainly on the aftermath of "His Doorstep."

* * *

**Shackled**

Chapter Three

Semblance

* * *

Only in her dreams was she unable to push aside the pain, push aside the knowledge of the truth. And so, as Sakura slept, she did not dream of flowers and butterflies. Instead she dreamt of the past, and the darkness it contained . . .

* * *

The darkness of the night welcomed Sakura as she walked away from his doorstep. Small tears of hopelessness trailed down her cheeks, crystal rivers forever frozen in time. Bright green eyes watched, but could not see, as the buildings slowly came and went. Her trained mind screamed for an end to the show, but her heart, her betraying heart, would not allow her to overcome her emotions and block the pain.

In the end, she still questioned why she had dared to tell him, even when she knew he belonged to another. Was it a moment of weakness, or was it a moment of truth? Either way, the outcome still stung. Sakura could have laughed at herself then, of course it hurt. But what else could she have expected? Was she selfish enough to take him away from the one woman he had finally found comfort with, just so she wouldn't be lonely anymore?

The answer to everything was still clear in her mind, the only salvation she had.

He deserved to know.

After everything that had happened, after every life saving and life threatening event that had happened, Naruto deserved to know that she had cared for him through it all. She would stand on the sidelines and watch as his happiness grew, and know that she had finally done the right thing.

Time itself seemed to slow down a notch as Sakura processed the events within her mind. Everything between her arriving at Naruto's home, to her leaving it, seemed as though it was a dream. If she pinched herself hard enough, would she wake up? Or would she find that this was her life, and that she had to deal with it. Her life was so much less then grand, and when tomorrow came, she would have to pretend that it still was.

After all, Sasuke was finally back in their lives again. She supposed that there was always that to be happy about. And she was happy that Sasuke had unexplainably come back to them.

When Sakura finally made it to her small complex, she gave a sigh of relief. Within the four walls she could block out the world around, and pretend that Naruto had chosen her, instead of Hinata. Selfish, it was selfish of her to do that, but she didn't care anymore.

With heavy steps she made her way to her bedroom and fell down on her soft bed, mentally and physically drained from the evening's events. She knew that she had just put a strain on their friendship, but knowing Naruto, he would get over it as soon as she treated him to some ramen. A small smile touched her lips before sleep took over her body, as one thought came to her mind.

Eventually.

The next morning Sakura awoke not to the sound of her alarm clock blaring into her ears, but instead into a world she couldn't comprehend. Just as time had seemed to slow down during the night, the opposite happened, and time speed up faster than Sakura could keep up with.

The shrieks of pain were bloody.

The screams for help had shook her foundation.

The cause of the end to Konoha's reign terrified her.

Orochimaru had finally made his move against them, he had finally come to claim what he thought he deserved. Along with him, stood his troops glaring down at the village with sadistic glee. Sakura would never forget that sight. One body, one form, one man, stood out first amongst them, first in line, first to shed blood.

Sasuke, the ultimate betrayer. Sasuke, whom they had thought had finally come back to them, had instead played all of Konoha for a fool.

Sakura found herself at the hospital, helping injured ninja after injured ninja. The casualties overwhelmed her. But she had to stay focused, had to fight in her own way, she had to be strong for the ones still fighting.

It was a battle, a war. Many things at stake, Konoha's future, the freedom of their lives. Ninja's fell, all fighting to secure the lives of innocents, each fighting their ninja way.

However, the blame she focused solely upon herself. She should have known! She. Should. Have. Known.

Rage bubbled within her, blinding her from her surroundings. Konoha had become a lake of crimson, and it was her fault. Her eyes and wishful heart had blinded her from the obvious. Sasuke was no longer himself, but instead something much more sinister. And it killed her, because she had not seen the truth when it had been so openly presented to her. She had ignored it all. And Konoha had paid the price for her blind ignorance.

Her mother had paid the price. Her mother!

She would no longer hear her mother's laughter at her silly antics, she would no longer be welcomed home with warm smiles and heartfelt hugs. It was all gone, and she had never been given the chance to say good bye. With a heavy heart, and fire burning brightly inside her, Sakura couldn't bring herself to help out at the hospital any longer. As if her will had been broken, and her hands metaphorically tainted with her mother's blood, she couldn't force herself to believe that she could do any good trying to attend to injured comrades. And so, as the fire burned brighter and hotter by the moment, Sakura took up a position within the front line. Partly she fought to help save Konoha, but mostly, to being vengeance to the ones who had taken everything from her.

Voices of the dead haunted her, unrelenting in their vengeful wrath.

Mocking her, they seemed to point their fingers and say it was all her fault.

This war was unlike the fairytales of her past, bad guys did have a chance to win. And so, as the end of the war drew near, Sakura watched with dark eyes what she feared most. _This is what we've been reduced too?_

Sakura's body tensed, she wanted to have justice, but the scene unfolding before her frightened her.

"No, not like this." Sakura breathed out, afraid for the two men standing in the distance. She did the only thing she could think of, and ran for them.

She saw a flash of light, and then felt pain. _Mom? Have I done right?_

Kakashi stared at her, even as the helplessness of the situation was baring down on them all.

She was going to die, their Sakura was going to die.

Naruto howled with a mixture of rage and sadness somewhere in the distance.

Kakashi continued to stare, unable to take his eyes away from the gape in her side. He was unable to connect the pieces, and why it was Sasuke's arm that was protruding form her body. It all seemed so unreal, because, really, Sakura couldn't die. She wasn't allowed to die, he needed her not to die.

Sakura new it wasn't a good thing when the body grew numb, when you no longer felt the pain. Because as long as you feel the pain, it means your alive. So when her body began to grow numb, and the pain started to cease, she knew her life had started to count the seconds before it would begin to shut down. Slowly, painfully, Sakura tried to send a reassuring smile toward Kakashi, and hoped he would understand why she had jumped between the two of them.

It had been an act of foolishness she knew, but she couldn't bring herself to watch as the men she loved kill each other. In the few seconds where they had both started to charge at each other with their own chidori's screaming loudly into the night air, it had taken her but a moment to place her body in direct harms way. She didn't regret it, she wanted them to live.

Even if she wasn't allowed to be happy, even if her life would be cut short. She wanted them to live, and to be happy.

Green eyes began to close, as darkness wrapped around her like a fine veil of velvet. In her semiconscious state, she couldn't remember what had happened. Why her heart felt heavy, why her body ached and screamed with every jarring movement; she couldn't remember any of it. And so, as the strings of sleep pulled tighter, she did not feel obliged to disagree.

Slowly, Sakura's senses came back to her in a florish of activity. Happy chirping of birds flying overhead alerted her to the knowledge that something was wrong. Images around her slowly came to focus in a vivid world of bright and color. The complete opposite of what Konoha had been reduced to. Briefly, she wondered if she had died, and wandered away to some valley between Heaven and earth. The heaviness of her heart, and the stinging in her side caused her to think otherwise.

Weakly, she brought her hand to rub at her forehead to try and ease some of the strain away. Wincing slightly at the sting in her side, she gave up and let her hand fall back down to the grassy earth. Another indicator that something was wrong.

"Wh . . . where am I?" Sakura questioned painfully, her throat screamed with the effort to produce sound. With a slight wince, she reasoned that it felt like she had gone about a week without water, and then downed a glass of sand.

Her throat hurt.

Her body hurt.

Her heart hurt most of all.

The tears came almost immediately, wetting her checks even as her throat screamed for substance.

Where was she! Her eyes quickly scanned the scene in hopes of spotting someone who could answer her questions. But the quick scan turned up nothing; not a single person was nearby. She was alone in this different place she didn't recognize, completely alone. The tears came more forcefully, wrecking her body without abandon.

A bitter taste came to her mouth as she remembered the look in Sasuke's eyes as he charged at Kakashi. Eyelids grew heavy once again, and Sakura welcomed the peace sleep would give her.

* * *

"Wake up now, or I'm leaving you behind."

Sakura awoke early the next morning to Kakashi not so gently tapping her forehead. Swatting the offending hand away Sakura mumbled groggily, "Go 'way."

The tapping didn't let up, or go away. It was interrupting her sleep, and so was dubbed her new enemy.

"I'm serious, wake up or stay behind."

The answer came to her in the form of water, iced water to be correct. Furious green eyes snapped open the instant the cold spread over her limbs. The water drenched her clothing, and made it cling to her body like a second skin.

Using her arms as leverage, Sakura magically forced herself into a sitting position. Her eyes felt as if a year's worth of sleep depravation was weighting her eyelids down. The temptation to lay still and sleep her life away seemed a very promising idea. Situating herself in a better position, Sakura brought a hand up to swat away a few errant stands of hair from her face.

"Well," Kakashi chirped, "time to leave!"

Sakura managed a weak glare toward him before she too stood and stretched out her sore muscles. Closing her eyes, a smile formed on her face. Yes, it was time to leave.

Tbc.

Fanfic by inca

A/N: I cannot honestly say that I am all too happy how this chapter turned out. But after many a hours staring at it, going "huh?" I decided to finally give up and just post it.


End file.
